National 'Stop on Red' Week: Laurel Officials Remind Drivers to Play It Safe

Submitted by the City of Laurel:

Mayor Craig A. Moe and Police Chief Richard McLaughlin remind all drivers to Stop on Red. The week of August 4-10 is National Stop on Red Week. Help make Laurel’s streets and roads safe for pedestrians and drivers.

American Traffic Solutions released the following statistics for this week in August. From 2007 to 2011, there were more than two deaths a day by people running red lights; that is an average of 63 deaths per month. In 2011, there were 645 fatal red-light running crashes in the United States; breaking it down, that comes to 118,000 people injured, 712 killed and a cost of $4.2 billion to citizens. About half of the 712 deaths in 2011 were people other than the red-light runner.

In the 2011 study, it was found that of 14 large U.S. cities used in the study, red-light safety cameras lowered fatalities by 24%. A 2012 study by the Texas Transportation Institute saw a 24% decrease in crashes at traffic lights with red-light safety cameras. From 2000 to 2010, it was found that red-light running fatalities decreased as cameras increased nationwide.

There were NO fatal red-light fatal crashes in Laurel in the past year. The number of intersection collisions has been greatly reduced since the introduction of red-light cameras in Laurel.

Mayor Moe and Chief McLaughlin ask you during this week and all the weeks after, to please be aware of your surroundings and stop at a red light and do not text while driving. Remember to walk with caution and drive with care.